


A Proper Proposal

by 3littleowls



Series: The Detective's Antidote [6]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: 221B Baker Street, Awesome Mrs. Hudson, Fluff, I'm Not Ashamed, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Mycroft's Meddling, Romance, SO MUCH FLUFF, Schmoop, Sherlock Holmes and Bees, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-20
Updated: 2013-09-20
Packaged: 2017-12-27 03:56:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/974031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/3littleowls/pseuds/3littleowls
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mrs Hudson has a shocking proposal for Sherlock, which leads to another proposal of a different sort.</p><p> </p><p>Set a couple weeks before the last scene in <em>Revival</em>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Proper Proposal

**Author's Note:**

  * For [runes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/runes/gifts).



> This is some outrageous fluff for PreciousHasthePhonebox for all her complimentary comments about Darin. It's hard to write an AU that doesn't feature the OTP, and even scarier when it's an original character. You never know how your OC will be received. Comments like hers keep me going!

“Sherlock dear, do you have a minute?” Mrs Hudson asks as she drops off the mail.

Mrs Hudson is a bit surprised when Sherlock immediately puts down the paper and turns his attention to her. “Something is on your mind.”

She takes a seat in John’s old chair. “It’s the house. I’m not getting any younger and minding the property, the maintenance and cleaning...”

Sherlock rolls his eyes.

“I wanted to let you know that I’m starting to think about selling.”

Sherlock looks confused. “You wouldn’t want to move from Baker Street.”

“No, I don’t. Maybe I can rent the ground floor from the new owners. They would have the burden of the house and I could mind my own, you know? With my hip and all.”

Sherlock steeples his fingers in front of his face. “They of course would want this flat. I see.”

“I know this is your home Sherlock, and I’d never want to ask you to leave, but...”

“Maintaining a house is not something I would wish to do. Plus with the prices of property in London, I wouldn't have the funds to make you a reasonably fair offer.”

“Unless that brother of yours helped you, maybe?”

Sherlock snorts derisively.

“It was just an idea. You know I would give you a bargain dear, and then we could both stay.”

Sherlock picks up his paper again. “I don’t see how. Just give me a couple months notice and I’ll find another flat.”

Mrs Hudson shifts in her seat a bit. “I was thinking, well, I’m presuming a lot, but what about your young man?”

Sherlock squints at her over the paper. “Darin? What about him?”

“He is here quite often. I mean maybe if you two decided to be here together. If you wanted to. Seems a waste to have two flats.”

Sherlock’s eyes widen in surprise. 

She pats him on the knee. “I’m not selling tomorrow, just something to think about. I’ll leave you to your paper.” 

####

“I see what happened. That wasn’t the right enzyme,” Darin corrects looking over Sherlock’s lab notebook in the kitchen counter.

Sherlock glares at him through his goggles. “I always miss something.”

Darin grins cheekily and writes a chemical equation. “Start over with this.”

Sherlock dumps his failed experiment in the sink and starts preparing a new substrate. “While we wait, Mrs Hudson made an interesting proposition this week.” 

“Proposition? She can’t have you, you’re mine,” Darin quips.

“Cute, but it segues well. I think you should consider living here at Baker Street. Your flat is hideous and you spend all your time here.”

Darin puts the pen down slowly. “Wow.”

“Is it that unexpected?”

Darin just watches Sherlock calmly measuring new solution. “Kind of. Not really. Just...wow. I just need to process that for a minute. No one has ever asked me to shack up before. Wait...you said this was Mrs Hudson’s idea?”

“Not completely, there was a bit more to it.” He sets the beaker on a stirring plate and takes off his gloves and goggles. “That will be a while. Let us go have a seat, I have something to show you.”

He follows Sherlock to the sofa, his thoughts swirling. After they both sit, Sherlock hands him a manila folder from the table. Darin shuffles through the contents, confused. “Property listings?”

“Mrs Hudson is concerned about maintaining the house with her advancing age. She is considering selling, if she could remain a tenant to the new owners. Prospective buyers would likely want these two floors for themselves, or rent them out at a higher rate. So she approached me first to see if I wanted to buy Baker Street so I could remain here.”

“Well, from the looks of these listings this place will cost a fortune.”

“She would sell below market to me, but I still don’t have enough to buy it outright.” 

Darin narrows his eyes at him, trying to add it all up. Watching Sherlock, chewing at his cuticles, finally makes it click into place. He closes the folder and sets it down carefully on the table. He lines up the corners with the edge, giving his brain an extra second or two to catch up.

“You...you are not just asking me to move in with you, are you?”

“I am suggesting we buy Baker Street together. If you sell your flat, we would have more than enough.”

Darin leans back on the sofa cushion. “Owning a house is pretty...big.”

Sherlock is back to nibbling his thumb. “You can say no.”

“I’m not saying no. If we are renting, I could move out again if it doesn’t work out. I’d have to find another flat, but still the risk isn’t very high. If I buy this place with you...well...it’s rather more permanent, isn’t it?”

“Everything is transient. Houses can be sold. You would be selling your flat, after all.”

He rubs his eyes. “Sherlock, I’m sorry to ask you this, but I have to; you are not panicking about losing your flat and just looking for a way out, are you? I know you love this place. I could help you financially a bit, but don’t ask me just to...”

“No!” Sherlock reaches out and squeezes his knee. “Mrs Hudson’s offer made me think about the options, and the opportunity presented itself, but no.”

“You want me with you. Indefinitely.” Darin gives him a long, searching look.

“That is what I mean when I say I want you to live here. Do keep up.”

Darin tips over so his head is on Sherlock’s shoulder. “Wow. I need some time.”

Sherlock wraps an arm around him and pulls him closer. “Not good?” 

Darin hears the tension in his voice. Sherlock Holmes is actually nervous. “It’s very good. It really is. It’s just...I need to think it over.” 

“Fine.”

####

_You know, you are right. -D_

_Of course I am. You may want to be more specific.-SH_

_My flat is boring -D  
I think it’s because you're not here. -D_

_Sounds logical. -SH  
Are you giving me an answer then? -SH_

_I have an appointment Tuesday to put my flat on the market. -D_

Sherlock smiles and just keeps re-reading that line of text.

_Good. -SH_

####

“I still don’t understand why we have to have conditions,” Sherlock complains. “John moved in and didn’t make demands.”

“John wasn’t buying the place and I’m pretty sure he wasn’t sleeping in your room,” Darin reasons. “My things have to fit in here, Sherlock, and this bachelor pad with your stuff scattered around isn’t my ideal living arrangement.”

“I can clean up a bit, of course.”

“You will need to do more than that. The place could also do with some updating, a new roof and better electrics. A kitchen we can actually cook in that doesn’t look like a meth lab.”

“I need a place to conduct my experiments.”

“Well, I have an idea about that. You know I won’t interfere with your work when I move in. Let’s go down to the basement and take a look at 221c so I can explain what I have in mind.”

####

__

_The appointment at the solicitor’s office is at 14:00 Monday. -D_

_Do we have to go? -SH_

_We discussed this. We need to have things in order in case someone drops dead. -D_

_I hate solicitors. -SH_

__

__

_It will be fine. She’s is an old uni friend of mine. -D_

####

Mrs Templeton looks over the paperwork. “So we can set everything up for you in a few weeks, gentlemen.” She pauses and smiles at Darin. “ I usually wouldn’t say anything, but since we know each other, you realize there is a simpler and less expensive way to share your property, right?”

Sherlock shrugs. “Well?”

Mrs Templeton smiles “It’s not my place, but a domestic partnership gives you full survivor rights.”

Darin chokes and sputters on his tea.

####

“Feeling better?” Sherlock asks.

“Nope. I just need to sit here a little longer.” Darin has his head between his knees and is trying not to pass out.

“I can’t believe we overlooked such an elegant solution! Honestly what were we thinking? I suppose it wasn’t on our radar, but let’s keep this stupidity to ourselves, shall we?”

“You really need to stop talking, Sherlock,” Darin moans.

Sherlock wrinkles his nose at him. “You seem to get faint with annoying frequency. Do you need a paper bag to breathe into?”

####

Darin opens his eyes blearily. He had a lie down on the sofa after the afternoon at the solicitors and must have dozed off. 

“Oh, fuck me.” Darin pulls a pillow over his head.

Sherlock’s eyebrows raise at the language.

“I hear congratulations are in order,” Mycroft says smugly.

“Is it genetically impossible for you to mind your own business?” Darin snaps.

“Who is in my family is my business,” Mycroft replies.

“Then I’m in luck, because I’m pretty sure I didn’t have a ceremony today.” Darin sits up and slips his shoes on.

“Hmmm. ‘Dr Darin Holmes’ had a nice ring to it.” 

Darin looks up at Sherlock. He’s sure he’s egging on his brother with that. Pretty sure. “Nope. No. I’m an Allard. Good grief. I’m going. I’ll be at the lab until late.”

Sherlock just watches him closely and plucks random notes on his Strad.

“Do not overreact Darin, I’m just concerned about my brother’s welfare.”

Darin laughs, “Of course you are.” He presses a kiss on Sherlock’s head when he passes. “Bye Mycroft. Do stay the hell out of my way.”

Sherlock smirks as Darin’s footfalls echo down the stairs.

“If you would take my advice, brother, don’t push too fast.”

“What would you know?”

Mycroft rolls his eyes.

####

“Are they almost done for the day?” Sherlock asks Darin. He waits the standard one to three seconds for a reply. Then he waits a few more. When no response comes, he looks him over more carefully. His brow is furrowed into a scowl and he is reading a journal at Sherlock’s desk. He is focused, ignoring the banging of the construction crew and ignoring Sherlock too. It’s slightly annoying, he wants attention, but it’s also wonderful. He’s too busy wandering in whatever he calls his Mind Palace and focusing on chemistry to care about silly things like the people around him. It’s brilliant, dazzling, radiant and it makes that warm feeling bloom in Sherlock’s chest he’s not quite accustomed to having there yet.

Darin looks up at him, furious. “This guy doesn’t even know what he’s talking about! Was this even peer reviewed?” He flips through the pages and slaps the magazine down. “Utter drek.”

Sherlock fights the stupid grin that wants to spread across his face until his cheeks ache. He is completely utterly, foolishly, spellbound by this man. He tries to battle the feeling of course, but that’s just out of a sense of personal pride. He lost his real will several months ago. 

Sherlock tries for stern. “You seem to not be listening to me. I have asked you twice-when will the contractors be finished today?”

Darin flushes. “I’m sorry Sherlock. I can’t believe morons like that actually get published... my thoughts drifted off.” 

Sherlock narrows his eyes in feigned annoyance.

“They should be done at any time,” Darin finally answers sheepishly.

If on cue, three workmen come down the stairs, “Skylight is in, Mr Allard if you want to take a look. We’ll be back tomorrow for the molding.”

“Thanks, have a good evening. Shall we have a look?” Darin stands up and waves Sherlock along. Sherlock goes up the stairs ahead of him. He’s a bit excited to get easy roof access truth be told. He tugs a rope to expand a set of compact pullman steps from the ceiling and climbs up them. The domed skylight has a hatch handle that he pops open, and he pulls himself onto the roof easily. It’s just a plain flat rooftop now, but Darin has big plans for a garden, a small greenhouse and said Sherlock could have a hive or two if he wanted. A beehive! He walks right to the edge of the roof and gracefully sits down on the little edge wall, dangling his legs over the side.

“Sherlock, mind the edge,” Darin warns, climbing up on the roof. He’s a bit more cautious, but he works his way over and scoots to sit beside. It’s not an award-winning view of London, but it’s interesting to see the pedestrians and cars bustle by as people start to go home for the evening.

Darin bumps Sherlock’s thigh to get his attention. Sherlock looks down to see a small, velvet flocked box in Darin’s open hand. It can only be one thing, and his heart beats double time. He takes it and opens it up to see two plain, thick platinum wedding bands.

“I thought maybe we should do something the proper way.” Darin says with a smile, “I’d like to skip the whole down on one knee bit. I bow to you enough as it is.”

Sherlock’s throat is suddenly dry and he has to clear it. “Which one is mine?”

Darin reaches over and plucks one of the rings out, grinning widely now. “Come on, help me out.” He reaches out with his other hand and offers it palm up, waiting.

Sherlock thinks that maybe he’s too close to the edge of the building after all. He feels short of breath and everything seems to be a bit tilted. Someplace a part of himself far, far away is berating himself for being absurd, since this was his big idea all along. His hand shakes when he gives it to Darin, who only squeezes it affectionately. 

The metal is cool when he slides the ring over his finger. Sherlock takes his hand back and flexes it, looking at the band. It fits perfectly and is surprisingly heavy. It feels permanent, like it was always meant to be there. 

“Sherlock.”

He looks up and Darin is watching him. He’s confident and sure, all his affection clearly written on his face. It grounds him. He remembers to breathe again, and everything settles back down.

“Marry me?” Darin finally asks very softly, his words almost washed away by the bustle of London below.

“Yes,” Sherlock replies simply. His face has gone soft and young, any artifice dropped. He reaches over and kisses Darin very delicately. He returns the ring to the box with its mate and hands it back, and Darin knows he is saying without words that he wants to wait to wear them. They sit quietly, arms around each other’s waists and simply watch the world pass by until the sky turns dark.

**Author's Note:**

> Beta and britpicked by gowerstreet. Go check out her Sherlock/Cabin Pressure crossovers!


End file.
